The Parthenon of Athens Greece - Fast Fun Facts By deTraci Regula What is the Parthenon in Athens? The Parthenon is the remains of a temple to the Greek goddess Athena , the patron goddess of the ancient City of Athens . Pictures of the Acropolis and Parthenon Where is the Parthenon? The Parthenon is a temple located on the Acropolis, a hill overlooking the city of Athens, Greece. The exact coordinates are 37°58 17.45 N / 23°43 34.29 E What kind of Greek temple is the Parthenon? The Parthenon in Athens is considered to be the finest example of Doric-style construction. What is Doric style? Doric is a simple, unadorned style characterized by plainer columns. Find out "How to tell Greek Columns Apart" here . Who built the Parthenon in Athens? The Parthenon was designed by Phidias, a famous sculptor, at the behest of Pericles, a Greek politician credited with the founding of the city of Athens and with stimulating the so-called "Golden Age of Greece".

The Greek architects Ictinos and Callicrates supervised the practical work of the construction. continue reading below our video Tips for Taking Better Travel Photos Alternate spellings for these names include Iktinos, Kallikrates, and Pheidias - there is no official transliteration of Greek into English, resulting in many alternate spellings. What was in the Parthenon? Many treasures would have been displayed in the building, but the glory of the Parthenon was the gigantic statue of Athena designed by Phidias and made out of chryselephantine (elephant ivory) and gold. When was the Parthenon built? Work on the building began in 447 BCE and continued over a period of about nine years until 438 BCE; some of the decorations were completed later. It was built over the site of an earlier temple which is sometimes called the Pre-Parthenon. There were probably even earlier Mycenean remains on the Acropolis as some pottery fragments have been found there. How big is the Parthenon? Experts differ on this because of variations in the way it is measured, and due to damage to the structure.

One common measurement is 111 feet by 228 feet, or 30.9 meters by 69.5 meters. What does Parthenon mean? Why is it called the Parthenon? The temple was sacred to two aspects of the Greek goddess Athena, Athena Polios ("of the city") and Athena Parthenos ("young maiden"). The "on" ending means "place of", so "Parthenon" means "Place of the Parthenos". Why is the Parthenon in ruins? The Parthenon survived the ravages of time pretty well, serving as a church and then a mosque, until finally it was used as a munitions depot during the Turkish Occupation of Greece. In 1687, during a battle with the Venetians, an explosion tore through the building and caused much of the damage seen today. There was also a damaging fire in ancient times. What is the "Elgin Marbles" or "Parthenon Marbles" controversy? Lord Elgin, an Englishman, claimed he received permission from the local Turkish authorities to remove whatever he wanted from the ruins of the Parthenon.

But based on surviving documents, he apparently interpreted even that "permission" quite liberally - it may not have included shipping out marbles to England. The Greek government has been demanding the return of the Parthenon Marbles and an entire vacant floor awaits them at the New Acropolis Museum . At present, they are displayed at the British Museum in London, England. What is the Acropolis? The Acropolis is the hill in Athens on which the Parthenon stands. "Acro" means "high" and "polis" means "city" - so it is literally the "high city". Many other places in Greece have "an" acropolis, such as Corinth in the Peloponnese, but "The Acropolis" usually refers to the site of the Parthenon in Athens. In addition to the obvious classical monuments, there are much more ancient remains from the Mycenean period and even earlier. You can also see from a distance the sacred caves which once were used for rites to Dionysos and other Greek deities, though they are not generally open to the public. The New Acropolis Museum is located beside the rock of the Acropolis, and holds many of the finds from the Acropolis and Parthenon.

It replaced the old museum which was located on top of the Acropolis itself. Visiting the Acropolis and Parthenon Many companies offer tours of the Parthenon and the Acropolis. You can also join a tour for a small fee in addition to your admission at the site itself, or just wander about on your own and read the curation cards, though the information they contain is relatively limited. Pictures of the Acropolis and Parthenon Here's a tip - the best picture of the Parthenon is from the far end, not the first view that you get after climbing through the propylaion. That presents a hard angle for most cameras, while the shot from the other end is easy to get. And then turn around - you'll be able to take some great pictures of Athens itself from the same location. Acropolis Hill in Athens - Greeka.com Location: Acropolis The Acropolis of Athens Greece: The Sacred Rock, the Acropolis in Athens, is the symbol of the entire Greece. It is also the most important ancient monuments in Europe. Surrounded by the modern town of Athens, the Parthenon still stands proudly, a reminder of the old aura of the city.

One can see the Acropolis and its Parthenon from almost every part of Athens. History of the Acropolis The acropolis in Athens was a military fortress during the Neolithic period, due to its position which offers a great view of the land and the sea. During the Mycenaean times, it became a religious centre, dedicated to the worship of the goddess Athena. It is said that the place was declared a province only to the gods by an oracle, and therefore stopped being inhabited by the people. The three temples of major importance, the Parthenon, the Erechteion and the Temple of Nike, were erected during the classical period (450-330 B.C.) on the remains of earlier temples. All three of them are dedicated to different aspects of the Goddess Athena. The Persians destroyed the Acropolis during the battle of Salamina in 480 B.C. The founder of the Athenian democracy, Pericles, was the one who rebuilt it under the form it has kept until today. He made it into a city of Temples, and, as everything else created at that period, turned it to the ultimate achievement in terms of classical Greek architecture and sculpting.

The Acropolis in Athens has, since then, been through a lot, and its remains reflect each and every period of the city. The Parthenon was turned into a church dedicated to Agia Sofia by the Christians of Byzantium, while the domination of the Franks in 1205 turned the hill into a fortress and residence for the noble Franks. At that time, the Parthenon was a Catholic Church named Our Lady of Athens. The Ottoman occupation of the 15th century turned the building into a mosque. When Greece finally became independent from the Turkish occupation, the conservation of the monuments became a task of major importance, and it has remained so until today. The Parthenon The building This monument is the symbol of the Ancient Greek civilization. It is the most important monument until today. It was dedicated too the patron goddess of the city, Athena, since Parthenon means also the apartment of the virgin. Athena was the goddess of wisdom, war and also a virgin. The Parthenon is located on the top of the Acropolis hill.

It was created between 447 and 432 B.C., at the time of Pericles golden age, by the architect Iktinos and with the help of Kallikrates. The famous Athenian sculptor Phedias was the supervisor of the whole project, which is a fine example of the Doric architectural style. It is made of Pentelic marble, and is made of 8 Doric columns on each of the narrow sides and 17 columns on each of the long side. The most amazing fact about this perfect achievement is that its columns are made in a zigzag as to give the impression that its foundations are straight. Its central part used to have a pool of water and to shelter a 40 feet high statue of Athena, made of gold and ivory. The decorations The combination of Doric metopes and the Ionic frieze on the walls are considered unique masterpieces. On the east side the metopes depict the fight of the Gods against the Giants, and on the east side the Lapith battle against the Centaurs. The south side shows the triumph of the Greeks against the Amazons and the north the victory of the Athenian on the Trojans.

The frieze that covers the sides of the temple depicts the most important religious festival in Ancient Greece, the Panathenaea. The designs include the figure of Gods, animals, and more than 360 humans. The two pediments of the temple show the birth of Athena and the fight between her and Poseidon for the name of the city. The temple suffered many transformations, while its final destruction happened in the 19th century: the British ambassador in Constantinople, Lord Elgin, stole its decorations and sold them to the British Museum where they can still be seen. The Erectheion This Temple is located on the most sacred part of the whole sacred hill. That side of the Acropolis was indeed the sanctuary were all the cults and ceremonies of Poseidon and Athena were taking place. It took its name after Poseidon killed Erechtonius, a mythical king who had the body of a snake. The temple was a part of Pericles project and is located on the northern side of the Parthenon. It was started late, in 421 BC, due to the Peloponnesian wars and ended in 406 BC.

It is an amazing example of the Ionic architecture, composed by three different dimensions basic parts which are the main temple, the northern and the southern porches. The two parts of the main temple are respectively dedicated to Athena and Poseidon. The northern porch of six columns leads to the Temenos of Pandrossos, the place where the sacred gift of Athena to the city, the olive tree, grew. The northern porch of the temple is the most famous, since it is the one with the Caryatids, the six women replacing the columns that support the marble roof. The Caryatids were sculpted after some beautiful young models that were women from Karyes, a village of Lakonia. The Temple of Athena Nike This little temple was built between 427-424 BC from a design of the architect Kallikrates. It is perched on a platform on the south-west edge of the Acropolis, and is also closed to visitors. It is an almost square building of Ionic architecture with four Ionic columns at each ends. Its frieze is adorned by a wonderful scene depicting the conference of gods and other mythological scenes on the east and south sides, and battles scenes on the other sides.

The majority of the frieze has been destroyed, while some parts, like the beautiful representation of Athena Nike (Victory) fastening her sandal, are exposed in the Acropolis museum. The Temple of Athena Nike was the shelter of an amazing statue of the goddess Athena holding a pomegranate, the symbol of fertility, in her right hand and a helmet, the symbol of war, in her left hand. The temple has been destroyed twice: once after the Turks dismantled it in 1686 and once after 1936, when the platform crumbled. It has been therefore rebuilt two times as well. The Propylea The Propylea is on the same line as the Parthenon, and is the monumental gateway to the Acropolis in Athens. Built from a design by Mnesicles, it is composed by a central hall and two lateral wings. The sections of the temple used to be the only possible way to enter the Acropolis. The northern wing was decorated with painted panels and was used as a picture gallery. The south wing was the antechamber to the Temple of Athena Nike and the ceiling of the Propylea's central hall was painted with gold and colorful decoration.

The northern wing was decorated with painted panels and was used as a picture gallery The building was build during 437-432 BC, badly damaged in the 17th century from an explosion. Its restoration started in 1909 and is still going on today. The Panathenaic Way The Panathenaic Way was the route taken by the Panathenaic procession during the festival of Panathenaia. This was the most important event of ancient Athens and was dedicated to the goddess Athena, and consisted in dances, athletic, dramatic and musical contests. The route was cutting through the middle of the Acropolis, beginning from the Keramikos and ending at the Erechteion. The procession was the highlight of the festival, as it took place on its last day. It was composed of men carrying animals for sacrifices to the goddess, of maidens carrying drinking vessels (call rhytons), musicians and girls holding the sacred shawl called peplo. The procession came to an end when the girls placed the peplo on the statue of Athena Polias, inside the Erechteion. The statue of Athena Promachos On the Acropolis one can see the remains of some important statues which used to form a path.

One of them, 15m from the Propylaea, is where used to stand the gigantic statue of Athena Promachos (champion). This 9m high statue was a symbol of the victory and the strength of the Athenians against the Persians. This symbolism is the reason why its sculptor, the famous Pheidias, represented the goddess holding a shield in her left hand and a spear in her right one. The statue was taken to Constantinople by the Emperor Theodosius in 426 AD. It was destroyed in 1204 by the inhabitants of the city who blamed the statue for a crusader invasion they suffered. The southwest slope of Athens Acropolis This area of the Acropolis is the area where all public buildings were built. It was the part of the hill where all the major artistic, spiritual and religious activities of the city took place, hence its importance to the ancient Athens. Here are the most important monuments standing on this area: The Theatre of Dionysos The remaining ruins of the 5th-century theatre built in stone and marble by Lycourgos indicates the greatness of the site: the auditorium had 17 000 seats of which only 20 survived.

The Greek Archaeological Society started excavations around the sanctuary of Dionysos and brought to light the theatre of Dionysos in 1838. The decorative relief at the rear of the stage is from the 2nd century BC and depicts Dionysos life and myths. Unfortunately most of the figures are headless. During the golden age of Pericles, when Athens was at its peak, one of the major events of the year was the annual Festival of the Great Dionysia, introduced in the 6th-century AD by the tyrant Pesistratos. It was a very interesting and cultural event. Politicians and rich people would sponsor dramas and comedies by theatrical writers like Aristophanes, Aeschylus, Euripides and Sophocles. Visitors would come from all around Attica to enjoy the plays and the different festivities. The Romans have also used the Theatre of Dionysos for their state events, some ceremonies and even theatrical performances. The Temple of Thrasyllos This temple was erected in 320-319 BC by Thrasyllos.

It was standing on the katatome, the great rock that had been artificially evened out vertically for the construction of the Theatre of Dionysos. The only remains of this temple are the two Ionic columns standing above the lovely, tiny Chapel of Panagia Hrysospiliotissa (our Lady of the Golden Cave), which was built into a small cave of a cliff hidden behind the Theatre of Dionysos. The Stoa of Eumenes Beneath the Asclepion stands a long colonnade that was built by Eumenes the second, the king of Pergamos (197-159 BC). This colonnade is know as the stoa of Eumenes, and it was built of stone and marble, and was used as a shelter and a promenade way for the theatre's public. The Asklepieion The Asklepieion was built after 420 BC to worship the physician Asklepios, son of Apollo. It is located on the left top of the wooden steps leading to the Theatre of Dionysos.

It is composed by some foundations of the Temple of Asklepios, a Doric stoa used as the katagogion, an Ionic stoa dating from the end of the 5th century BC and an altar. The excavation of the Asklepieion was made by the Greek Archaeological Service. Theatre of Herodes Atticus This theatre was built by Herodes Atticus, a wealthy Roman. He created this architectural miracle in AD 160, in loving memory of his wife Regilla. This huge construction has a 38m radius, which allows it to offer space for more than 5000 spectators. The seats were made of marble. It was discovered in 1857-58 and restored in 1950-61. The summer Athens Festival which takes place every year nowadays uses the Theatre of Herodes Atticus from musical to dancing performances, or theatrical plays. Famous artists and performers come from all over the world to perform there, and create an amazing atmosphere. Share it! Parthenon | temple, Athens, Greece | Britannica.com Parthenon Callicrates Parthenon, chief temple of the Greek goddess Athena on the hill of the Acropolis at Athens , Greece .

It was built in the mid-5th century bce and is generally considered to be the culmination of the development of the Doric order , the simplest of the three Classical Greek architectural orders. The name Parthenon refers to the cult of Athena Parthenos (“Athena the Virgin”) that was associated with the temple. The Parthenon, Athens, Greece. © Corbis Directed by the Athenian statesman Pericles , the Parthenon was built by the architects Ictinus and Callicrates under the supervision of the sculptor Phidias . Work began in 447 bce, and the building itself was completed by 438. The same year a great gold and ivory statue of Athena, made by Phidias for the interior, was dedicated. Work on the exterior decoration of the building continued until 432 bce. Although the rectangular white marble Parthenon has suffered damage over the centuries, including the loss of most of its sculpture, its basic structure has remained intact.

A colonnade of fluted, baseless columns with square capitals stands on a three-stepped base and supports an entablature , or roof structure, consisting of a plain architrave , or band of stone; a frieze of alternating triglyphs (vertically grooved blocks) and metopes (plain blocks with relief sculpture, now partly removed); and, at the east and west ends, a low triangular pediment , also with relief sculpture (now mostly removed). The colonnade, consisting of 8 columns on the east and west and 17 on the north and south, encloses a walled interior rectangular chamber, or cella , originally divided into three aisles by two smaller Doric colonnades closed at the west end just behind the great cult statue. The only light came through the east doorway, except for some that might have filtered through the marble tiles in the roof and ceiling. Behind the cella, but not originally connected with it, is a smaller, square chamber entered from the west. The east and west ends of the interior of the building are each faced by a portico of six columns.

Measured by the top step of the base, the building is 101.34 feet (30.89 metres) wide and 228.14 feet (69.54 metres) long. The Parthenon, Athens. Temple of Heaven The Parthenon embodies an extraordinary number of architectural refinements, which combine to give a plastic, sculptural appearance to the building. Among them are an upward curvature of the base along the ends and repeated in the entablature; an imperceptible, delicate convexity (entasis) of the columns as they diminish in diameter toward the top; and a thickening of the four corner columns to counteract the thinning effect of being seen at certain angles against the sky. The Parthenon, on the Acropolis, Athens. © iStockphoto/Thinkstock Athens (national capital, Greece): The Acropolis The sculpture decorating the Parthenon rivaled its architecture in careful harmony. The metopes over the outer colonnade were carved in high relief and represented, on the east, a battle between gods and giants; on the south, Greeks and centaurs; and on the west, probably Greeks and Amazons.

Those on the north are almost all lost. The continuous, low-relief frieze around the top of the cella wall, representing the annual Panathenaic procession of citizens honouring Athena, culminated on the east end with a priest and priestess of Athena flanked by two groups of seated gods. The pediment groups, carved in the round, show, on the east, the birth of Athena and, on the west, her contest with the sea god Poseidon for domination of the region around Athens. The entire work is a marvel of composition and clarity, which was further enhanced by colour and bronze accessories. Night view of the Parthenon, Athens. © iStockphoto/Thinkstock Gods, Goddesses, and Greek Mythology The Parthenon remained essentially intact until the 5th century ce, when Phidias’s colossal statue was removed and the temple was transformed into a Christian church. By the 7th century, certain structural alterations in the inner portion had also been made. The Turks seized the Acropolis in 1458, and two years later they adopted the Parthenon as a mosque , without material change except for the raising of a minaret at the southwest corner.

During the bombardment of the Acropolis in 1687 by Venetians fighting the Turks, a powder magazine located in the temple blew up, destroying the centre of the building. In 1801–03 a large part of the sculpture that remained was removed, with Turkish permission, by the British nobleman Thomas Bruce, Lord Elgin, and sold in 1816 to the British Museum in London . (See Elgin Marbles .) Other sculptures from the Parthenon are now in the Louvre Museum in Paris, in Copenhagen , and elsewhere, but many are still in Athens. Poseidon, Apollo, and Artemis, marble relief, portion of the east section of the Parthenon frieze, … Spectrum Colour Library/Heritage-Images The Parthenon The Parthenon The Parthenon is one of the most famous buildings in the world. Many people think it is one of the most beautiful, too, even though it is now in ruins. On this page you will find out everything you need to know about the Parthenon. Click here to see some pictures of the sculptures on the Parthenon, now in the British Museum.

Click here to see my photos of the Parthenon , from September 07. Where is the Parthenon? The Parthenon stands on the Acropolis, a sacred hill in the middle of Athens. Itï¿½s the big building in the picture below. The other main buildings on the Acropolis are the propylaion (the gateway onto the hill, left of picture), the temple of Athena Nike (victory), and the Erechtheion, a temple to several gods (behind the Parthenon in the picture). In ancient times there were other buildings and many statues, including a large bronze statue of Athena. When was it built? The Parthenon was built from 447BC to 438BC, but all the decorations and the statue of Athena inside were not finished until 432BC. The temple was dedicated (formally opened) in 438BC. Who built it? Pericles (left), the leader of Athens, ordered the building of the Parthenon. He got his friend Pheidias to be the chief architect. Pheidias, one of the greatest sculptors of all time, carved many of the sculptures on the Parthenon himself.

The two architects under him were Callikrates and Ictinos. Why was it built? The Greeks fought a war against the Persians from 490BC to 479BC. They finally defeated them but the Persians destroyed the Acropolis in 480BC. The Athenians had to rebuild the temple to Athena that had been ruined. They also wanted to celebrate the victory over the Persians, and to give thanks to Athena, goddess of war, who they believed had helped them win the battles. The Athenians had also found a rich seam of silver in Laurium which gave them the money to build a magnificent temple. What was the Parthenon used for? Most people have always thought the Parthenon was a temple to the goddess Athena. The building has the shape of a Doric temple, and there was a statue of Athena inside. Athena was the patron goddess of Athens, and the city was named after her. ï¿½Parthenonï¿½ comes from Athena Parthenos, which means Athena the virgin.

Sacrifices were made to Athena here, and every four years there was a big festival to Athena which ended at the Parthenon (see later, the Panathenaic festival). Some people, however, think that the Parthenon was really a treasury. A lot of gold treasure was stored here in a room at the back of the temple, and there was 1000kg of gold on the statue itself (see picture). What was the Panathenaic Festival? Every four years the Athenians had a big celebration in honour of Athena. There were athletic games and competitions of music, poetry, and dancing. It lasted from 28 June to 28 July. Part of the Parthenon frieze, showing the procession. Athenian girls spent 9 months weaving a ï¿½peplosï¿½, a dress for the statue. There was a procession which began outside the city gates and went through the agora, up to the Acropolis, and ended at the Parthenon. Animals like oxen and sheep were sacrificed in Athenaï¿½s honour. How big was the Parthenon?

The base of the Parthenon is 72.5mX34m. The columns are 10.43m high and 1.9m wide at the base. There are 8 columns at the front and back, and 17 along the sides, making 46 columns in all. This picture shows the east side of the Parthenon, which is the front (the right side on the picture above). How was the Parthenon built? The Parthenon was built with high quality marble from nearby Mt Pentelicon. The columns go all around the cella. The cella had three rooms, but not much of these is left today. The cella was built first, and the columns around it. The Parthenon was very carefully built, by expert masons. Some machinery was needed to put the very heavy stone blocks in place. A crane such as that shown here may have been used, and the blocks also had bits sticking out to be used for carrying. Whatï¿½s so special about the Parthenon? The Parthenon is a marvel of architecture.

The designers made many corrections, or ï¿½refinementsï¿½, to make the building as beautiful as possible. For example, a long horizontal line seems to sag in the middle. Therefore the base of the Parthenon curves up slightly in the middle, so it doesnï¿½t seem to sag. The base bulges up 6cm in the middle (East face). Can you see the curve in this picture? For the same reason the columns bulge out 2cm. This is called ï¿½entasisï¿½. Also the columns at the corners are the only ones which you can see in silhouette against the sky. This makes them seem thinner, and so they were made thicker to counter this effect. The Parthenon Sculptures Another reason the Parthenon is special is the wonderful sculptures it was covered with. There were 92 metopes which were all carved, as well as the pediments and the frieze on the outside of the cella. This picture shows part of the east pediment as it is today, in the British Museum, and how it would have looked with the original paint.

All the sculptures were originally painted with a blue background, and reddish-brown, white, yellow, black, and grey. In January 2006 I visited the British Museum and took some pictures of the Parthenon sculptures . The Greek government wants Britain to give them back. Do you think we should? The Pediments Most of the sculptures on the pediments are missing, but from descriptions by an ancient Greek traveller, Pausanias, we know what was on them. West Pediment: the contest between Athena and Poseidon to be patron of the city. Athena makes the first olive tree grow; Poseidon makes salt water flow from the ground. These pictures show a reconstruction of the pediments in the Acropolis Museum. East Pediment: the birth of Athena. Hephaestus strikes Zeusï¿½ head with an axe, and Athena leaps out, fully grown, with her helmet, spear and shield. The Metopes There are 92 metopes which are all carved. Some are still on the building, some are in the Acropolis Museum, some are in the British Museum and some are in the Louvre in Paris.

The subjects are all from Greek mythology, as follows: South wall ï¿½ the battle of the Lapiths and the centaurs North wall ï¿½- Greeks fighting Trojans East wall ï¿½ the battle of the gods versus the giants Parthenon - Ancient History Encyclopedia Parthenon by Mark Cartwright published on 28 October 2012 The magnificent temple on the Acropolis of Athens , known as the Parthenon , was built between 447 and 432 BCE in the Age of Pericles , and it was dedicated to the city ’s patron deity Athena . The temple was constructed to house the new cult statue of the goddess by Pheidias and to proclaim to the world the success of Athens as leader of the coalition of Greek forces which had defeated the invading Persian armies of Darius and Xerxes . The temple would remain in use for more than a thousand years, and despite the ravages of time, explosions, looting, and pollution damage, it still dominates the modern city of Athens, a magnificent testimony to the glory and renown the city enjoyed throughout antiquity.

The project to build a new temple to replace the damaged buildings of the acropolis following the Persian attack on the city in 480 BCE and restart the aborted temple project begun in 490 BCE was instigated by Pericles and funded by surplus from the war treasury of the Delian League , a political alliance of Greek city-states that had formed together to repel the threat of Persian invasion. Over time the confederation transformed into the Athenian Empire , and Pericles therefore had no qualms in using the League’s funds to embark on a massive building project to glorify Athens. Remove Ads Advertisement The acropolis itself measures some 300 by 150 metres and is 70 metres high at its maximum. The temple, which would sit on the highest part of the acropolis, was designed by the architects Iktinos and Kallikratis, and the project was overseen by the sculptor Pheidias. Pentelic marble from the nearby Mt. Pentelicus was used for the building, and never before had so much marble (22,000 tons) been used in a Greek temple. Pentelic marble was known for its pure white appearance and fine grain.

It also contains traces of iron which over time has oxidised, giving the marble a soft honey colour, a quality particularly evident at sunrise and sunset. The name Parthenon derives from one of Athena’s many epithets: Athena Parthenos, meaning Virgin. Parthenon means ‘house of Parthenos’ which was the name given in the 5th century BCE to the chamber inside the temple which housed the cult statue. The temple itself was known as the mega neos or ‘large temple’ or alternatively as Hekatompedos neos, which referred to the length of the inner cella: 100 ancient feet. From the 4th century BCE the whole building acquired the name Parthenon. Parthenon Design & Dimensions No previous Greek temple was so richly decorated with sculpture. The Parthenon would become the largest Doric Greek temple, although it was innovative in that it mixed the two architectural styles of Doric and the newer Ionic. The temple measured 30.88 m by 69.5 m and was constructed using a 4:9 ratio in several aspects.

The diameter of the columns in relation to the space between columns, the height of the building in relation to its width, and the width of the inner cella in relation to its length are all 4:9. Other sophisticated architectural techniques were used to combat the problem that anything on that scale of size when perfectly straight seems from a distance to be curved. To give the illusion of true straight lines, the columns lean ever so slightly inwards, a feature which also gives a lifting effect to the building making it appear lighter than its construction material would suggest. Also, the stylobate or floor of the temple is not exactly flat but rises slightly in the centre. The columns also have entasis, that is, a slight fattening in their middle, and the four corner columns are imperceptibly fatter than the other columns. The combination of these refinements makes the temple seem perfectly straight, symmetrically in harmony, and gives the entire building a certain vibrancy. Remove Ads Advertisement The outer columns of the temple were Doric with eight seen from the front and back and 17 seen from the sides. This was in contrast to the normal 6x13 Doric arrangement, and they were also slimmer and closer together than usual.

Within, the inner cella (or opisthodomos) was fronted by six columns at the back and front. It was entered through large wooden doors embellished with decorations in bronze, ivory, and gold . The cella consisted of two separated rooms. The smaller room contained four Ionic columns to support the roof section and was used as the city’s treasury. The larger room housed the cult statue and was surrounded by a Doric colonnade on three sides. The roof was constructed using cedar wood beams and marble tiles and would have been decorated with akroteria (of palms or figures) at the corners and central apexes. The roof corners also carried lion-headed spouts to drain away water. Parthenon Decorative Sculpture The temple was unprecedented in both the quantity and quality of architectural sculpture used to decorate it. No previous Greek temple was so richly decorated. The Parthenon had 92 metopes carved in high relief (each was on average 1.2 m x 1.25 m square with relief of 25 cm in depth), a frieze running around all four sides of the building, and both pediments filled with monumental sculpture.

Remove Ads Advertisement The subjects of the sculpture reflected the turbulent times that Athens had and still faced. Defeating the Persians at Marathon in 490 BCE, at Salamis in 480 BCE, and at Plataea in 479 BCE, the Parthenon was symbolic of the superiority of Greek culture against ‘barbarian’ foreign forces. This conflict between order and chaos was symbolised in particular by the sculptures on the metopes running around the exterior of the temple, 32 along the long sides and 14 on each of the short. These depicted the Olympian gods fighting the giants (East metopes - the most important, as this was the side where the principal temple entrance was), Greeks, probably including Theseus , fighting Amazons (West metopes), the Fall of Troy (North metopes), and Greeks fighting Centaurs, possibly at the wedding of the king of the Lapiths Perithous (South metopes). The frieze ran around all four sides of the building (an Ionic feature). Beginning at the southwest corner, the narrative follows around the two sides, meeting again at the far end.

It presents a total of 160 m of sculpture with 380 figures and 220 animals, principally horses. This was more usual for a treasury building and perhaps reflects the Parthenon’s double function as a religious temple and a treasury. The frieze was different from all previous temples in that all sides depicted a single subject, in this case, the Panathenaic procession which was held in Athens every four years and which delivered a new, specially woven robe (peplos) to the ancient wooden cult statue of Athena housed in the Erechtheion . The subject itself was a unique choice, as usually scenes from Greek mythology were chosen to decorate buildings. Depicted in the procession are dignitaries, musicians, horsemen, charioteers, and the Olympian Gods with Athena centre stage. To mitigate the difficulty in viewing the frieze at such a steep angle from the narrow space between cella and outer columns, the background was painted blue and the relief varied so that the carving was always deeper at the top. Also, all of the sculptures were brightly painted, mostly using blue red and gold. Details such as weapons and horses reigns were added in bronze and coloured glass was used for eyes.

The most important sculpture was not outside but inside the temple. The pediments of the temple measured 28.55 m in length with a maximum height of 3.45 m at their centre. They were filled with around 50 figures sculpted in the round, an unprecedented quantity of sculpture. Only eleven figures survive and their condition is so poor that many are difficult to identify with certainty. With the aid of descriptions by Pausanias of the 2nd century CE, it is, however, possible to identify the general subjects. The east pediment as a whole depicts the birth of Athena and the west side the competition between Athena and Poseidon to become patron of the great city. One of the problems of pediments for the sculptor is the diminished space at the corners of the triangle. Once again, the Parthenon presented a unique solution by dissolving the figures into an imaginary sea (e.g. the figure of Okeanus) or having the sculpture overlap the lower edge of the pediment (e.g. the horse head). Statue of Athena The most important sculpture of the Parthenon though was not outside but inside.

There is evidence that the temple was built to measure in order to accommodate the chryselephantine statue of Athena by Pheidias. This was a gigantic statue over 12 m high and made of carved ivory for flesh parts and gold (1140 kilos or 44 talents of it) for everything else, all wrapped around a wooden core. The gold parts could also be easily removed if necessary in times of financial necessity. The statue stood on a pedestal measuring 4.09 by 8.04 metres. The statue has been lost (it may have been removed in the 5th century CE and taken to Constantinople ), but smaller Roman copies survive, and they show Athena standing majestic, fully armed, wearing an aegis with the head of Medusa prominent, holding Nike in her right hand and with a shield in her left hand depicting scenes from the Battles of the Amazons and the Giants. A large coiled snake resided behind the shield. On her helmet stood a sphinx and two griffins.

In front of the statue was a large shallow basin of water, which not only added the humidity necessary for the preservation of the ivory, but also acted as a reflector of light coming through the doorway. The statue must have been nothing less than awe-inspiring and the richness of it - both artistically and literally - must have sent a very clear message of the wealth and power of the city that could produce such a tribute to their patron god. The Parthenon serenely fulfilled its function as the religious centre of Athens for over a thousand years. However, in the 5th century CE the pagan temple was converted into a church by the early Christians. An apse was added to the east end which required the removal of part of the east frieze. Many of the metopes on the other sides of the building were deliberately damaged and figures in the central part of the east pediment were removed. Windows were set into the walls, destroying more parts of the frieze, and a bell tower was added to the west end. Later History In its new form the building survived for another thousand years. Then in 1458 CE the occupying Turks converted the building into a mosque and so added a minaret in the southwest corner.

In 1674 CE a visiting Flemish artist (possibly one Jacques Carey) took drawings of much of the sculpture, an extremely fortuitous action considering the disaster that was about to strike. In 1687 CE the Venetian army under General Francesco Morosini besieged the acropolis which had been occupied by Turkish forces who used the Parthenon as a powder magazine. On the 26th of September a direct hit from a Venetian shell ignited the magazine and the massive explosion ripped apart the Parthenon. All the interior walls except the east side were blown out, columns collapsed on the north and south sides, carrying with them half of the metopes. If that wasn’t enough, Morosini further damaged the central figures of the west pediment in an unsuccessful attempt to loot them and smashed to pieces the horses from the west pediment when his lifting tackle collapsed. From the rubble, the Turks cleared a space and built a smaller mosque, but no attempt was made to gather together the fallen ruins or protect them from any casual artefact robber. Frequently, in the 18th century CE, foreign tourists helped themselves to a souvenir from the celebrated ruin.

It was in this context of neglect that Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin, paid the indifferent Turkish authorities for the right to take away a large collection of sculpture, inscriptions, and architectural pieces from the Acropolis. In 1816 CE the British Government bought the collection, now known as the Elgin Marbles, which now resides in the British Museum of London. Elgin took away 14 metopes (mostly from the south side), a large number of the best preserved slabs from the frieze (and casts of the rest), and some figures from the pediments (notably the torso sections of Athena, Poseidon, and Hermes , a reasonably well preserved Dionysos , and a horse head). The other pieces of sculpture left at the site suffered the fate of exposure to weather, and particularly in the late 20th century CE, the ruinous effects of chronic air pollution. Indeed, it was not until 1993 CE that the remaining frieze slabs were removed from the exposed ruin for safer keeping.

However, the most important pieces now reside in the Acropolis Museum, a purpose built state-of-the-art exhibition space which opened in 2011 CE and stands in full view of the ruined temple just 300m away, still majestically dominating the skyline of Athens. Pericles had made no idle boast then when he emphatically stated that ‘...we shall be the marvel of the present day and of ages yet to come’. About the Author Acropolis/Parthenon Acropolis/Parthenon No wheelchair access Entry fee reductions may apply to students and 65+ seniors. The Acropolis known as the “crowning jewel” of Athens stands on a 250’ hill overlooking modern Athens. "Acro" means "high" and "polis" means "city" - so it is literally the "high city". Many other places in Greece have an acropolis, but "The Acropolis" usually refers to the site of the Parthenon. It was built almost 2,500 years ago, and stood fairly intact until the 1800’s. It is an architectural wonder.

The famed temple of the Greek goddess Athena, the patron goddess of the ancient city of Athens, is one of the most photographed locations on the planet. HISTORY: The Parthenon itself has a long and interesting history. Construction on the temple was begun in 447 BC and it remained intact until the 1800's when it was bombed leaving it as it is today. The stone came from Mount Pantelakos, about 10 miles from Athens. The most impressive piece of the temple was a huge 40' tall statue of the Goddess Athena designed by the famous sculptor Phidias. Her skin was made out of elephant ivory and her clothing of beaten gold. This was the glory of the site among the many treasures that were displayed there. One common measurement of the Parthenon is 111 feet by 228 feet, or 30.9 meters by 69.5 meters. Greece and Turkey private tours and shore excursions.

Question: The Parthenon in Athens stands on which hill?
Answer: ACROPOLIS